There is a debate among those who study the political about the difference between "political science" and "politics." What is this difference? Consider the statement of purpose of this elite liberal arts school that considers itself a "politics" department,

Politics is state of the affairs controlled by government, and the political science is the study of it

Explanation:

Politics as a term comes from the Greek word Politiká or Polis that means "affairs of the cities". Today, politics is referring to the state of the current affairs, problems and issues faced by the government, and the process going along with it. These processes are usually the decision-making process and set of governmental activities like managing country, state, area or community, and all that goes with it - military, economy, policies, laws, strategies, etc.

Political science, therefore, is the study and theory of these political processes. It is a social science that researches political effects on history, society and the community. It focuses on understanding and analyzing processes, institutions, relations, decisions, and practices by political ideas and figures, as well as their internal relations.